1/21/08 #7 - Sore muscles & Migraine 3rd day after exercise?

Full Question: I am 68 years old and a very active person. For some reason whenever I do any upper body strength training or anything that may cause my muscles to become sore, e.g., lifting luggage, grandchildren, etc. the sore muscle will generate a migraine. This doesn't happen until the 3rd day after the exercise when the muscles begin to tighten up. Is there anything that I can use that may help? It only happens with upper body soreness. Janice.

Answer:

Dear Janice;

Your symptoms are somewhat unusual in that most exercise-induced Migraines come on during or just after the exercise itself. Three days is a long time. And it may be that the headaches really don’t bear a relationship to the exercise itself, but rather, to other factors such as sleep pattern or dietary patterns. Often, anti-inflammatory medications might be useful to ward off exercise related Migraines. You might want to talk to your physician about which ones to choose, although long-acting preparations like Celebrex or Naprelan might be quite useful.

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It’s also unusual to have muscles tighten up three days after an exercise session. Despite itself might worry some neurologists about subtle muscle diseases that are associated with ”tightening up”. Of course, I’m speculating here. Good luck in your search for answers and don’t forget that consulting a headache and Migraine expert may be helpful.

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